Rust - Chapter 424



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-424

It’s the end of March, and April is just around the corner.

The land where green sprouts should have sprouted was frozen white. Psychometric Erica, who was blankly staring out the window, muttered softly.

“Do I really have to go kill him?”

Maru, who was cleaning Eclipse, answered the question of whether it was necessary to go all the way to Seattle to kill a cannibal.

“Because cannibals aren’t just cannibals.”

If the cannibals had just eaten the people around them and raised the cattle of the townspeople, that would have been the end of it, but that wasn’t the case.

“The cannibals have formed a power that goes beyond criminal organizations, and it is dangerous to leave them alone.”

Just as human greed is endless, so is the greed of cannibals.

If we left the cannibals who had formed a force alone, something unimaginable might happen.

“You know what the cannibals did in New York and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Imagine if that were expanded to a regional or national scale. And now there’s a cannibal in New York that can control cockroaches. What would happen if we left that cannibal alone?”

“···Is it okay if I just look for it?”

“Yes. Nothing else matters. Just find the leader. Just find the higher-ranking individual. And if you have the resources, find some unusual individuals.”

“all right.”

Erica Lisbon answered coolly.

He seemed to have matured a lot after the assassination incident.

“But. If you take care of the cannibals in Seattle and San Francisco, wouldn’t it only benefit Chairman Shim?”

“As I said yesterday, both Chairman Shim and we need to settle down properly to be safe.”

It was advantageous for Chairman Shim to take over in order to divert attention from the East and the South. Of course, he was not planning to help for free. Especially not in San Francisco.

“Should the PD continue to control the rat pack? What about Unit 2?”

The PD was currently managing the rat population. He was indirectly controlling the rats by using drugs and napalm bombs.

“It is dangerous if the chain of command is divided, so it cannot be done.”

It is difficult to predict what the results would be if a hood with strong hacker tendencies got involved. If rats that handle information appeared and caused problems or corruption in the explosive faith, it would be difficult to handle.

“If you want to use rats as informants, recruit another rat tribe and operate them separately.”

That seemed right to Ms. Kim.

When the chain of command becomes complex, problems are bound to arise. It’s the same between people, so what about rats? The simplest system is the best.

“Then. Are you planning to keep going with the rats?”

Maru nodded when asked if he would continue to coexist with rats.

“The most effective way to stop rats is to stop rats with rats. And in the future, rats are likely to become the center of the ecosystem.”

“?”

Researchers speculate that the food chain could be reorganized based on rats.

With their overwhelming reproductive power, the amount of material they produce will be endless, but the best thing to stop them is another rat.

Stopping the swarm of rats wasn’t the end of it.

As rats increased, the number of medium- and large-sized animals that preyed on rats would also increase, which would mean a change in the overall ecosystem. This would most likely be a change that would be detrimental to humans.

“It’s a mutant monster. We could catch it if we used large-caliber special bullets, but···.”

It’s already too late.

As the weather begins to warm up, the rats will begin to breed in earnest, and likewise, the mutated monsters that prey on rats will begin to increase in number.

Towns and cities that fail to adapt to the sudden changes will perish. The food chain will be shaken, and the increase in mutant monsters is certain.

[We will arrive in Seattle in 30 minutes. Should we go straight to Seattle?]

“Stop ten minutes away.”

Kim Yang, Psychometry, and the Royal Guard were to first infiltrate Seattle, identify the location of the higher entity, and relay the information to Maru.

“This is a city controlled by cannibals, so wouldn’t you get caught the moment you enter?”

“Even if you get caught, I can still figure out their location with psychometry, and if they come out, I can follow them, so don’t worry and just hold on.”

I was worried that I would get caught as soon as I entered Seattle, but the weather cooperated.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee—–

In the suddenly cold weather, the moisture rising from the sea began to freeze and spread like fog. Taking advantage of this gap, Kim Yang, Erica, and the Royal Guard successfully infiltrated Seattle.

[Chiiik- communication—disability—-chiiik]

“Sensitivity to maximum. Frequency locked.”

[Beep- Confirm.]

“Did you find the superior object?”

[Beep- Beep- Army- Chiiik- Take control- Beep- Danger.]

Information that could not be obtained through crow reconnaissance was revealed with just one use of psychometry.

He knew that the cannibals had taken over the city, but they had even taken over the military. Maru thought it was a good idea to come before the sun rose.

“Once you’ve found the location of the superior entity, retreat immediately.”

[Beep- Got it- Chiik]

It was a platform urging retreat before the strange phenomenon that had risen like fog stopped.

After more than an hour, Ms. Kim and Erica returned.

On behalf of Erica, who was looking haggard as if she had thrown up everything inside her, Kim Yang explained the situation as she had figured it out through psychometry.

“When I first came to Seattle and Vancouver, that happened.”

“The crow incident?”

Miss Kim nodded and placed a flat tube of ointment on the table.

“That’s what the US military used to make a rapid hemostatic agent.”

“I know. I’ll have to tear it all down when I’m done with work.”

It is said that one of the production facilities is in Seattle.

“They say cannibals have taken over a lab in Seattle and are continuing to conduct vivisections.”

“Is that why it’s so droopy?”

“Yeah. I guess there were more residual thoughts than expected because the place I was aiming for was a pharmaceutical company.”

“There were no other guys?”

“It was completely empty, whether it was because of the weather or a power problem.”

“Where is the higher object?”

Mr. Kim marked several places on the map.

There were three locations identified as residual thoughts: one underground and two above ground.

If things were as they were, we would have had to do simultaneous operations, but apart from Ms. Kim, there was no one I could trust and leave it to.

“Tsk- I guess I’ll have to take pictures in two places.”

“The viewing will be done by me and the Royal Guard.”

Maru decided to go with the complex space that combines an arcade and an underground shopping mall.

“What about the other one?”

“Let’s decide whoever cleans up first. If there’s a lot of resistance, don’t try to break through it. I can go, or if it’s really hard, I can just blow it up with a bomb. Don’t push yourself too hard and take it slow.”

The slumped psychometer raised its hand and said.

“I’ll go too.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. You can rest and use it 2-3 more times.”

Ms. Kim looked back at the floor with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Is this okay?’

“Don’t just go, put on a power loader exosuit and go.”

There was no reason to stop him since he said he would go on his own.

Maru also headed to Seattle wearing a Ripper suit.

Although it was said that 80% of the battery performance was guaranteed down to -20 degrees Celsius, the reality was different.

‘The exosuit side is probably a bit risky.’

Even if I had brought plenty of spare batteries, I didn’t know what I would do if the fighting started.

[Operation commenced.]

The floor disappeared into the shadows.

======

======

The armored exosuits took up position in an instant.

The guards, who moved in pairs to check various places, reported to Kim Yang.

[Right clear.]

[Left clear.]

[The central control room power went out.]

[Emergency generator. No fuel.]

‘Isn’t this a dud?’

Kim Yang’s eyes narrowed.

‘Not only is there no heating, there’s no electricity?’

The top entity that took over Seattle was said to be a young woman. Would a queen bee-style bitch be going up and down the stairs? Unless she was going up and down in a palanquin, there was no chance she would be here.

[Please check with psychometry.]

[wait a minute.]

The power loader type exosuit knelt on one side, took off its gloves, and placed its hands on the floor.

[I moved here. Because there’s no electricity. Ugh-]

[why?]

Erica, who was reading the residual thoughts, started to feel nauseous.

[4. They are going to modify people to extract electricity···.]

[Did you go to the underground lab?]

Erica nodded. Kim Yang checked the map on her HUD. The place connected to the underground laboratory was the arcade and underground shopping center that Maru had decided to go to.

Ms. Kim immediately relayed the situation to Maru.

[I went to the underground lab connected to that place. They said they were trying to modify people to create electricity.]

[Chiiik- Don’t miss it, check it out carefully. Beep.]

[Since we have psychometry, we don’t have to search through everything, right?]

[Beep- Whatever you do, don’t miss it. Chick-]

[Okay, I’ll check this and move on to the next step.]

[Beep beep beep beep-]

Maru’s answer was cut off abruptly.

‘I installed a repeater but it got disconnected?’

[The enemy.]

Ms. Kim reacted immediately.

[Check the repeater and try again!]

The guards responded immediately.

[doesn’t exist.]

[Broken parts found in repeater.]

[Check the footprints!]

[The footsteps were interrupted in the middle.]

The exosuit’s tactical lights illuminated various places in the dark first floor lobby of the building.

‘Psychometry didn’t notice? Why?’

Suddenly, the image of Erica using her power from earlier overlapped. She was kneeling, taking off her gloves, and checking the floor with her bare hands.

‘floor?’

Miss Kim reflexively raised her head and shouted.

[Ventilation? It’s the ceiling. Shoot!]

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

“Ouch- I’m caught!”

“Get down!”

Flash- Kuuuung!

The flash grenades thrown by the enemies disrupted the exosuit’s sensors.

As the heavy gunshots and flames began to fill the dark space on the first floor, Ms. Kim shouted.

[gas!]

Whoosh-

The small V’s x disappeared into the smoke.

Whoosh-

Maru moved between buildings to avoid leaving footprints in the snow. The HUD screen showed that communication with Ms. Kim had been lost.

‘Considering radio interference, we decided to use a repeater.’

Pittsburgh, even in that underground lab, there was no problem using the repeater. But the communication was cut off?

‘It’s the enemy.’

If Kim Yang had started the fight, the enemy’s attention would have been drawn to him.

So what he had to do was catch the higher entity.

Maru trusted Ms. Kim and entered the arcade underground shopping center.

There was a space filled with traces of people here and there.

An empty tent, cardboard boxes scattered here and there, and clothes strewn about.

Tents and clothing were essential in this bitter cold, so there was no reason for people to throw them away.

‘Did you take it somewhere else?’

The emergency exit signs in the underground shopping center were lit. It was underground. The underground lab and the underground area were electrically powered.

The fact that the electricity was on meant that the CCTV was running. Even with optical blinds, the door would still be detected when it was opened and closed.

After catching his breath, Maru swung his sword toward the emergency exit.

Kwajik-

The moment the lock was shattered, Maru, who had kicked the door, began to run. The barrier began to descend with a loud siren sound.

Crunch-

A barrier that would fall before it could close – an emergency door that would split before it could close – nothing could block the floor.

The sharply sharpened floor led towards the central control room.

Once you figure out where the higher entity is, you can catch it. When the higher entity dies, the lower entities will momentarily lose their senses and go berserk. You can use that to wipe them out all at once.

Boooooooo-

Maru reflexively swung his sword at the feeling of discomfort he felt the moment he pushed his body through the barrier. Things that had been cut into pieces fell to the floor and fluttered as if they had been brought to life by the sword swing he had made without even looking.

The tentacles attached to Maru’s head rushed at him, not caring about his swordsmanship.

The blade cut through the tentacles and circled around towards the creatures.

S-pole-

The moment the blade went in, it felt a little hard. Maru’s forehead furrowed at the feeling of cutting a crustacean.

‘Fuck.’

You said you did a biological experiment. Was it like this?

Stand up stand up stand up

Blood flowing between the pieces filled the hallway. Even though the test subjects blocking my path were scattered in pieces on the floor, the uneasy feeling did not go away.

At the end of the long stretch of space-time, a shaky body was glimpsed. A naked body was looking this way.

What is that?

Kim Yang’s words that come to mind at that moment.

‘They say they’re trying to create electricity by modifying people.’

Erai-

Pak- As soon as Maru hit the floor, a blast of electricity shot out in all directions. The optical cloaking device of the Ripper suit could not withstand it and lost its function.

Slap – Slap – The residual current sparked and the shape of the floor slowly came into view.